We are fairly certain the last thing your 18-year-old kid is thinking about is an estate plan. And you are probably not thinking about one for them either, but you should be. Here’s why: once your child turns 18, you are no longer entitled to know about their...
Year: 2013
Learn From the Expensive Mistakes & Smart Decisions Made By Actor James Gandolfini
Learn From the Expensive Mistakes & Smart Decisions Made By Actor James Gandolfini In Planning for His Estate James Gandolfini, the actor best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos, died suddenly last month while on vacation in Italy. His...
Does Your Teen Driver Make You Nervous?
Make a Contract With Your Teen Driver This Summer It’s summer and that means more teen drivers on the road. Statistics show teens have twice as many accidents during the summer as any other time of the year, and alcohol is often a contributing factor. Researchers say...
What Is The Difference Between A Will And A Trust?
What is the Difference Between a Will-based plan and a Trust-based plan? In this article I will explain the difference between a Will-based plan and a Trust-based plan so you can make an educated decision for your family about what is best for you and, ultimately, for...
The Tomorrow Trap In Estate Planning
No More Reasons for Delay in Implementing These 5 Estate Planning Essentials Last year’s uncertainty about the future of the estate and gift tax caused many people to put their estate planning on hold, even though estate and gift tax planning is only a teeny tiny...
Estate Planning Is Not a One Time Thing
For Estate Planning, There is No Fix –It-And-Forget-It It’s hard to believe that people who spend a lifetime working hard to accumulate wealth spend little or no time planning for what will happen to it after they pass, especially if children are in the picture. Yet...
Will Your Wealth Cause A Family Fight?
How to Avoid Family Conflict When Making an Estate Plan Unfortunately, money has a habit of bringing out the worst in people, even in the best of families. One of the most important reasons to get your estate plan handled is to keep your family out of conflict. And,...
Why Your Dog Needs A Lawyer
There is no doubt we are a nation of pet lovers. Unfortunately, the law as it is currently written views pets as property, so providing for your pet in your will won’t work. So how do you protect your favorite fur-person? With a pet trust. To create a pet trust, you...
6 Cases A Trust Is Better Than A Will In Los Angeles, California
6 Cases When a Trust is Better Than a Will in Los Angeles, California A will is one of the most basic California estate planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something...
What Happens to Your Online Assets After You’re Gone?
The Digital Afterlife Debate: What Happens to Your Online Assets After You’re Gone By: Gerry Kane The digital afterlife debate over who owns the online assets of someone who has died has been in the news recently, brought to light by several families whose children...